Self adjustable foot for tables



Oct. 7, 1958 D. J. MUNSON 2,854,770

SELF ADJUSTABLE FOOT FOR TABLES Filed Oct. 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Dowua IMz/Msmv zws d Arron/5 Oct. 7, 1958 D. J. MUNSON 2,854,770

SELF ADJUSTABLE FOOT FOR TABLES Filea Oct. 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R22 34 FIG. 5'

3o INVENTOR.

.Domuo IMm/sm/ w BY ArrnRMEYs United States Patent 2,854,770 SELF ADJUSTABLE FOOT FOR TABLES Donald J. Munson, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to The J: R. Clark Company, Spring Park, Minn., a corporation'of Minnesota Application October 11, 1955, Serial No. 539,762

3 Claims. (Cl. 38-114) form to the contour of the floor or other table supporting surface.

, Many tables of the collapsible type in common use today, such as ironing tables, are designed for four point contact with the floor. An example of such a table is shown in United States Patent No. 2,663,102, issued December 22, 1953, to Olander. In the use of such a table any slight irregularity in the floor or in the table leg structure will frequently prohibit firm engagement between all four of the table contact points and the floor allowing the table to wobble as it is used. This is obviously a very unsatisfactory condition, particularly in performing the lronmg operation.

. Others in the art have recognized the problem and have proposed solutions. However, previous developments in the field have been unsatisfactory for one or more of several reasons. Other leveling feet have required manual adjustment, have not locked in the adjusted position, or have been too expensive or cumbersome to be commercially practical.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable foot for tables or the like which will automatically adjust to firm fioor contacting position when the table is set upon the floor and then lock itself in the adjusted position.

Another and more specific object of the invention is'to provide an ironing table adapted for four point contact with the floor wherein two of said points are formed by a flexible foot, which foot will adjust itself for engagement of said two points with the floor surface and then automatically and rigidly lock itself in said adjusted position as the table weight is imposed upon the foot.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved foot construction for the understructure of a table or the like which will automatically adjust to conform to the table supporting surface and lock in the adjusted position, the parts of the foot being adapted to withstand long usage without wearing out and yet being relatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

With these objects in mind my invention broadly comprises a table having an understructure adapted for four point contact with the floor, the understructure including a leg member carrying a foot device which includes a pair of elongated'contact members or foot sections extending in opposite directions on a common plane, the inner ends of the contact members independently pivoted and carrying cam means adapted to move into relatively locking engagement when the contact mem wardly about their pivots.

The above mentioned and still additional objects of the invention will be brought to light during the course of the following specification, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an erected ironing table incorporating the improvement of this invention and showing an operator in working position at the table.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lower end portion of one of the table legs incorporating the improved adjustable foot and with the foot locked in adjusted condition as it would be on a horizontal or smooth floor surface.

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2 but shows the condition of the foot adjusted to conform'to an irregular surface.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the foot taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken longitudinally of the foot along line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 5 but showing a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the foot members in inoperative condition with the cams in spaced relation.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference characters will be used to denote like parts or structural features in the different views. In Fig. 1 an operator 0 is shown in seated position at the ironing table denoted generally at 10. The table is of the type described in the aforementioned patent having a top or board 11 and a supporting leg structure comprising front and rear leg members designated at 12 and 13, respectively, extending downwardly from the board in crossing relation and being pivotally connected as by pin 14 at their intersection. The legs are configured to extend around the area beneath the central portion of the board so that the board may be supported over the lap of the operator as shown. To assure stability of this type of table a transverse foot is provided at the lower end of each table leg. Each foot has two contact points giving the table four point contact with the floor. The foot on rear leg 13 is designated by the number 15. It has an arched shape and is provided at its ends with non-skid cap members 16. The footisdetachably secured to leg 13 as by bolt wing' nuts 17.

The foot on the front leg 12 is designated generally by the number 18 and for a thorough understanding of the construction thereof attention is directed "to Figs. 2 through 5. The lower end of leg 12 has an extension 12 which extends transversely under the board and has its bottom wall 12 (Figs. 4 and 5) collapsed to provide a recess or channel seat 20 for the foot 18.

The foot 18 is similar in general appearance to the rear foot 15 having an arched configurationand capped at its ends by the non-skid members 21 which are identical to the members 16 and provide the other two contact points. The member 18, however, is flexible being formed of. two'independent foot sections which are identical and each of which is designated at 22. These might well be referred to. as contact members. Each member 22 is preferably of tubular materialas shown so as to. .fit partially upward within the channel 20. The wall 12 of leg portion or extension 12 has a slot 24 provided centrally therein and extending longitudinally thereof ers are swung upwhile the upper wall of the extension has arelatively 3 short slot 25. Both slots lie on the central plane of leg member 12.

Each contact member 22 is integrally associated at its inner end with a hinge plate 26 which extends upwardly through the slots 24 and 25. Pivot pins 27 connect the plates 26 to the leg 12 so that the plates are allowed limited pivotal movement within the slots. Plates 26 lie on a common plane and their facing edges are closely adjacent one another. The upper portions of these edges are preferably convexly curved as at 28 so that the edges will come into tangential engagement when one or both of the members 22 are moved upwardly about pivots 27. It'may be observed that with the members 26 lying on the same plane any relative upward movement of the members 22 about their pivots is limited by engagement of the plate or cam edge surfaces 28 while lowering of the members 22 about their pivots is limited by endwise contact between the inner adjacent ends of the two members themselves.

While the edges 28 are herein shown as curved they may be made straight so as to meet along a substantial portion thereof when they are moved into contact.

Operation of the invention will be clearly and readily understood. When it is desired to erect the table the operator holds the board 11 in horizontal position allowing the legs 12 and 13 to swing downwardly to the point where the contact caps 16 of the foot 15 both firmly engage the floor. Then the foot 18 is placed against the floor and the members 22 being freely pivoted on the leg will automatically adjust so that both of the caps 21 will firmly contact the floor. The weight of the front end of the table is then allowed to come to rest fully upon the foot 18 and as this takes place the pivots 27 will be lowered slightly causing the cam members 26 to swing into contact along their surfaces 28 to frictionally lock the members 22 in their adjusted positions.

It will be observed in Fig. that the foot sections 22 are spaced far enough away from the wall 12 to allow them a significant range of tilting positions. In Fig. 2 the foot 18 is shown adjusted to a substantially level surface. In Fig. 3 the foot is adjusted to an irregular surface with one section 22 tilted upwardly so that its contact cap 21 is considerably higher than cap 21 on the other section.

The facing edges 28 on the cam members 26 as shown are not exactly straight. Rather they are formed so that the upper portions thereof have contact along a considerable length while the lower portions are spread apart. This allows a substantial area of frictional engagement between the cams. It will be observed that the floor contact points on the members 22 are spaced considerably farther from pivots 27 than are the frictional cam surfaces 28. This gives each foot section great leverage so that the members 26 are held very firmly together when the table weight is imposed upon the foot 18. If during operation it is necessary to move the table to another area of the floor surface with the result that the table wobbles in the new location, it is necessary only to raise the front of the table and reset it. The foot sections will assume new positions to conform to the contour of the floor in that area.

A slightly modified form of the invention is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing. There the transversely extending portion of the front leg is designated by the number 30. The foot sections or contact members 31 are identical to the members 22 in the preferred embodiment and they carry cams 32 at their inner ends which are pivotally associated as by pins 33 with the leg portion 30. The only variance from the preferred form lies in the contacting edges of the cams or hinge plates. Here the edges are serrated crosswise as denoted at 34 so that there will be a more positive locking engagement between the two when they are moved into contact as the foot members find their floor contacting position about the pivots 33. Of course, the locking engagement here also ceases promptly as the leg 30 is raised to allow members 31 to gravitationally swing downward to their free positions.

Inasmuch as the foot construction is extremely simple, the manufacturing cost is low and the parts will endure long use without wearing out or breaking. It is understood that while the foot has herein been described as used in connection with an ironing table the same construction could readily be adapted for use on any other portable object where four or more point contact with the supporting surface is desired.

I have thus provided a new and improved adjustable foot construction which economically and effectively carries out the aforementioned objectives. It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, What I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a table, a table top having a supporting leg structure adapted for four point contact with the floor, said leg structure including a leg element extending downwardly from the top and having a foot mounting portion at its lower end, a foot device attached to said leg element forming two of said points of contact, said device comprising a pair of elongated foot members arranged in end to end alignment, means pivoting the inner end portion of each of said members to the foot mounting portion on an axis which is transverse with respect to the aligned foot members and which is at an angle to the vertical for relative up and down movement of the member about its pivot, and each of said members having a cam adjacent its inner end which is in opposed spaced relation to the cor-' responding cam on the other member when in inoperative position and extending above the member pivot axis, the said cams having cooperative facing cam surfaces which when pivoted downwardly into operative position describe intersecting arcs whereby as the foot device is lowered against the floor each foot member will engage the floor and the outer end thereof will move upwardly about its pivot to bring said surfaces together and rela tively lock the foot members in operative position.

2. In an ironing table, an elongated table top having front and rear ends, a pair of leg sections connected 'to the top and extending downwardly under the top in fore and aft intercrossing relation and each carrying a transverse foot piece at its lower end for engaging a table supporting surface at transversely spaced points, one of said foot pieces being rigidly connected to its carrying leg section, the other of said foot pieces comprising a pair of elongated foot members arranged end to end transversely of the top and having their inner adjacent end portions pivoted to their carrying leg section on parallel fore and aft extending axes for relative up and down movement of the members about their pivots, and their distal remote ends adapted to contact the supporting surface whereby as the table is set to rest upon the supporting surface with said remote ends contacting the surface said ends of the foot members will swing relatively upward about the member pivots, and said foot members each having a cam adjacent its inner end which is in opposed transversely spaced relation to the corresponding cam on the other member when in inoperative position and extending above the member pivot axis, the said cams having cooperative facing cam surfaces which when pivoted toward each other into operative position describe intersecting arcs whereby the cams will move into contact with each other as the remote ends of the foot members are swung upwardly to relatively lock the foot members in the position of cam contact.

3. In a table having an elongated top and a leg structure attached to the top and having a pair of feet adapted to engage a table supporting surface in longitudinally spaced fore and aft relation under the top, at least one of said feet comprising a pair of foot sections arranged.

end to end transversely with respect to the top and having their adjacent ends pivoted to the leg structure on parallel fore and aft extending axes, said sections extending outwardly and downwardly from their adjacent end pivots for engagement of their remote ends with said surface, and each section having a cam at its inner end which is in transversely opposed spaced relation to the corresponding cam on the other section when in inoperative position and extending above the section pivot axis, the said cams having cooperative facing cam surfaces which describe intersecting arcs when the remote ends of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 42,754 Dodge May 17, 1864 1,921,026 Garman Aug. 8, 1933 2,418,236 Schramka Apr. 1, 1947 2,546,097 Hild Mar. 20, 1951 Olander Dec. 22, 1953 

